Faith teachings and legal aspects on end-of-life decisions. an overview of controversial issues in contemporary western societies

ABSTRACT: To what extent do the views of religions and religious groups on end-of-life (EoL) issues affect their regulation in Western legal systems? What difficulties do national legislators encounter in regulating end-of-life? What are the peculiarities of the Italian situation? Is it possible to affirm that the privileged position recognized in Italy to the Catholic Church has influenced (and to what extent) the solution settled by the Italian legislator for end-of-life issues? The essay aims to answer these questions. More precisely, it focuses on the analysis of the influence of the views and teachings of religious groups both on individual choices and on the current Western regulatory framework concerning end-of-life decisions (with specific regard to euthanasia and assisted suicide), as well as on extent to which the legal regulation of end-of-life issues at national and supranational level must be consistent with the ideological postulates and positions of the secular state, especially in the context of the growing multi-ethnic, multicultural and multireligious evolution of contemporary Western societies. CONTENTS: 1. Political, legal and ethical aspects of the end-of-life debate – 2. The influence of individuals’ religious beliefs on the approach to the concept of life and death – 3. Advances in medical science and end-of-life decisions. – 4. Right to life v. self-determination. The “right to die” debate – 5. Regulating end-of-life: a difficult task for State legislators. – 6. Faith at end-of-life. The views and teachings of religious groups on end-of-life decisions. – 7. The Position paper of the Abrahamic monotheistic religions on matters concerning the end-of-life. – 8. Principles, values and practices relevant to the dying patient in contemporary Western societies and the growing trend towards forms of death on request. – 9. End-of-life issues in Western legal tradition. – 10. The case-law of the Strasbourg Court on issues related to end of life. – 11. End-of-life regulatory framework in Italy. The Law no. 219 of 2017. – 12. A developing path. Prospects for increasing the legal protection of end-of-life choices in Italy. – 13. The influence of Catholic church on the current Italian legislation on end-of-life. – 14. Conclusive remarks.